The Old Man
by azurefang
Summary: When an old man comes to the Salvatore house looking for Damon, Elena is worried he might mean Damon some harm.  Then again, he might have news about Stefan. After Season 2.
1. Chapter 1

THE OLD MAN

Author's Note: After Season 2. When an old man comes to the Salvatore house looking for Damon, Elena is worried he might mean Damon some harm. Then again, he might have news about Stefan.

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. Original characters, such as the old man, are mine.

ELENA

Elena was alone in the big Salvatore house, waiting for Damon to return. Maybe he had some news. She wished Stefan would come home, but there was no telling where he and Klaus were. He had been gone four weeks now and there was no hint of where he might now be. Or what he was doing now that he was supposedly a "ripper vampire." No matter what Damon told her about Stefan's savage capabilities, she found she could not believe Stefan was at heart that kind of person. It made her angry that Damon believed Stefan was behaving so horribly. Surely Stefan would overcome the urge to commit such violence.

The house seemed so empty and quiet at the moment, although it made little house-sounds. She was the lease holder of this place, not because she wanted to be, but because Damon and Stefan had thought it would protect her from uninvited vampires. And look how _that_ had turned out!

Restless and bored, she glanced around at the things in the study, much of it antiques. This was not her kind of place. Too old and stuffy. Besides, she had inherited the Gilbert house. She and her brother Jeremy, that is. Because her adoptive parents, her biological father and her Aunt Jenna had all had wills, she and Jeremy were comfortably well-off financially. Still, she would give the money back in an instant if she could have those people back. So would Jeremy, she was sure.

She looked out the front window. The landscaping service had just finished mowing the lawns and trimming the shrubs. Their truck was just pulling away. The previous lease holder, Zach Salvatore, who had supposedly been touring Europe and had very recently been reported lost in a sailing accident, had lived here for years and had kept the place looking nice. Of course he had had to do so, because he had run it as the Salvatore Bed and Breakfast up until the last year or so.

Elena saw a car stop at the curb out past the front lawn. It was an expensive-looking silver car, and certainly a far classier vehicle than Aunt Jenna's, the one she was driving now.

She watched the driver get out. The first thing she saw was the thick and wavy white hair. An old guy, then, but nice hair. As he came around the front of the vehicle, she saw he was wearing a neat suit and tie. Well-dressed old guy. He used a cane, but he was neither stooped nor limping. He wore glasses. As he made his way up the walkway, he carried himself with dignity. Not just an old guy, an old _gentleman._

Was he a former guest at the Bed and Breakfast? Elena wondered as she went to the front door, opening it before he could knock or ring the doorbell.

"Hello. May I help you, sir?" she asked.

"I believe so. My name is Theo Andreopoulos," he said pleasantly and with a small smile.

Although his name was Greek, Elena thought she caught a Tidewater Virginia accent. Interesting. She noted that he had a trim white mustache and dark eyes. He was thin and short, no taller than she was. Although his face was lined with age, he had good skin, and she thought he was rather handsome for an old guy. Gentleman. Maybe he was sixtyish. Being still in her teens, she wasn't good at guessing the age of old people.

"I'm looking for Damon Salvatore," he added.

"He's not home right now. Do you have a phone number were he can reach you?"

"I'll give you my card. My cell number is on it," he said and he reached inside his coat, took out a card and held it out to her.

As Elena reached for it, she saw his ring and felt a wave of alarm. It was different from those worn by Damon and Stefan, but she was sure it was the kind that might be worn by a day-walking vampire. Surely, she must be jumping to conclusions! Was this old man a vampire?

"Would it be possible for me to wait inside for him? I drove from out of town," the man said in a polite, but hopeful tone.

"I'm sorry, but I'm here alone and I prefer you not come in," Elena said warily. She backed up a couple of steps, but she didn't shut the door in his face. She was not about to invite a stranger in, especially a possible vampire. In truth, she realized that if he was not a vampire, he could force his way in. Somehow, she was not afraid that this old man would assault her. Still, she should close the door, despite it being rude.

"I see. And you are …?" Mr. Andreopoulos asked.

"I'm Elena Gilbert. Stefan Salvatore is my boyfriend. He's not here either."

"Yes, I'd heard that."

"You did?"

"Yes. I know people who know the brothers."

The situation felt awkward to Elena. She knew the man did not want to leave and she felt she should not let him in. But, did he know something about Stefan? Did he know from another vampire? And dammit, she really wanted to know if he truly was a vampire, but she couldn't bring herself to boldly ask.

"I noticed your ring. Could I see it?" she asked. Would he extend his arm past the doorjamb? Could he? Was inviting his hand inside the same as inviting the whole person in? She hoped not.

He smiled, showing even white teeth. Dentures or the good teeth of a vampire? He held out his right hand, but not past the doorframe. Did he feel the invisible barrier?

Elena looked at the ring, the silver filigree and the beautiful blue of the lapis lazuli, and then she looked up at his eyes behind the non-reflective glasses. They didn't have the look she was used to seeing in old folks. He did not have old eyes. He had clear knowing hazel eyes. He knew that she knew. His expression was mildly serious, but not like Stefan's brooding face. Nor was he laughing at her as Damon would have.

"Look. Damon should be back within the hour," she finally said. "If you would like to wait on the back patio, you may. There are chairs there."

"Thank you. I should like to do that."

Elena indicated the best way to get to the back of the house. She watched him nod politely to her and then slowly walk down from the porch, taking the walkway around toward the back. Who was this man? Was he a friend or was he here to cause trouble? Could he hurt Damon? That was unlikely, since Damon was in great shape and the man was so old and thin. Who would turn an elderly gentleman into a vampire, anyway, dooming him to years of looking old?

After closing the front door, Elena walked back to the kitchen and looked out the window. The old man finally came into view, chose a chair in the shade and carefully sat down, laying his cane across his knees. He was looking off to the back yard, which consisted of lawn, shrubs and a small fountain. Mature trees also grew there.

Guilt nagged at Elena and she finally opened the back door. "Would you like some ice tea or a cold beer?"

"A cold beer would be nice," the man said with a nod.

In a minute, Elena took him a can of beer and a glass. He stood up as she approached. A gentleman. As a proper hostess, she opened the beer and poured it into his glass, setting it on the small table to his left. She had felt a bit nervous about going outside the house to him, but she had chided herself about that and went out. He thanked her.

"Please sit down, Miss Gilbert," he said and she realized he would not sit as long as she stood there. She sat in another chair.

"Do you know where Stefan is?" she asked.

"No, I'm afraid not, my dear," he said, sitting back down.

"How did you know he was gone? Who told you?

"

"Damon notified people to keep an eye open for him. That's all."

"He called you? Damon, I mean."

"No. I've been in Australia. I returned to New York a couple of days ago."

"Why do you want to see Damon now?"

"You have many questions."

"I guess I do. I'm worried about Stefan. He's with someone who is a very bad influence on him."

"Yes. I've been told that. He's in danger of losing himself."

"I…you are one of them, aren't you?"

Before he could answer or she could ask more probing questions, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that it was Damon.

"I'll be home soon. Anybody call? Stefan?" he asked.

"No, but you have company. A Mr. Andreopoulos is waiting to see you."

"No kidding! I'll be home in about five minutes, then." He hung up.

"Damon says he'll be here in about five minutes," she told the man, and then she realized that he probably had heard what Damon said anyway.

"I'm going to get myself a Coke," she said. "And then I'll sit with you until he comes." He smiled slightly and nodded. He stood when she did.

Except for Stefan, Elena was not used to guys standing so politely.

In the kitchen she pulled a can of Coke from the refrigerator. Who is this man? she continued to wonder. Damon sounded pleased to hear that he was here.

Outside again, she settled into a chair near the visitor. "Have you known the Salvatores long?" she asked.

"Quite a long time," the old man said, nodding. He didn't volunteer any other information, but he added, "I understand you are the present lease holder. You seem very young to run this big place."

"I don't really run it. Damon does. The previous lease holder has recently died. He was vacationing in Europe."

"So I've heard. Did you know that person?"

"I'd met him. People around here thought he was Stefan's uncle, but that wasn't true. Stefan was actually Zach's uncle. Very distant uncle, generation-wise."

"I see. I hear a car. Perhaps that is Damon."

"I'll go see," Elena said, rising and going in through the back door. In a moment she was face to face with Damon.

"Where is he?" Damon asked, and he did not seem concerned for the safety of either of them.

"Out back. Who is he, Damon?"

"Someone I've known for years. Come on."

On the patio they found the old man standing and watching them.

"I can't believe you're here!" Damon said, grinning and obviously glad to see the older man.

To Elena's surprise, the two men shared a guy-hug. Damon was not usually that demonstrative with men, even when he was being brotherly with Stefan.

As the men backed away, Elena saw the smile on Andreopoulos' face disappear as his right hand lashed out, slapping the side of Damon's face so hard it turned his head and knocked him back a step. When Damon faced forward again, his expression was hard and his hands at his sides were in fists.

Elena cringed. Was a vampire fight about to break out? Would Damon hit the old vampire who wore glasses? Why did he wear glasses anyway?

"Zach was my favorite great great grandson," the old man said evenly, his own face relaxing as he let go of his anger.

Damon stared at him, and then his face and stance relaxed, also. However, he looked a bit contrite.

"I'm sorry. At the time, I was desperate and cornered. Zach came at me and I reacted. I liked him, Peter. I really did," Damon said. "I _am_ sorry."

Peter? Elena wondered. She wasn't surprised the man's name wasn't Theo Andreopoulos. Vampires were forever changing their names. But Zach Salvatore was this man's descendant?

"What's going on here, Damon?" she asked, touching his arm. She could see a red bruise on the side of his face.

"Elena, I'd like you to meet my baby brother Pietro. Peter. The one Stefan told you was raised by our mother's family," Damon said.

"Oh my God!" Elena gasped, stunned. "You are the third brother? I would have thought… I didn't realize…why are you an elderly vampire? I'm sorry. I'm being rude."

"It's quite all right, my dear Elena. You have a right to be surprised and confused," Peter Salvatore said with a forgiving smile.

"Let's go inside," Damon said. "Elena?" His expression urged her to invite the man into the house.

"Yes. Please come inside," she told Peter. She led the way and somehow Peter beat her to the door and opened it for her. Stefan often did that and sometimes Damon did. The Salvatore brothers had been raised to be old-fashioned gentlemen. When they wanted to be.

In the living room, Elena sat on one of the matching sofas. Peter sat opposite her. Damon went to the liquor cart and poured himself a bourbon. He offered Peter a drink of whatever he wanted, but the man held up his glass of beer, indicating he was fine.

Damon sat down close beside Elena. "Why don't you tell Elena how you became a vampire."

"All right," Peter said, setting his glass carefully on a coaster on the small table beside him. "In the year 1933 I was living in Richmond where the Salvatore Trust offices were located; where they still are. I was 80 years old at the time, but my mind was sharp as a tack. My physical health was not as good. I was having chest pains, off and on, and other problems, and I knew my future was limited. I was in the middle of a couple of business projects for the Trust and I can state firmly that I was _not_ ready to die.

"Unlike almost everyone else, I had two special brothers. I was able to contact Damon and we had a nice chat. The result was an elderly vampire who is now in rather robust health. Of course, we had to pretend that I died. There was a nice funeral. Some family members knew the truth, some never did. I have roamed the world since then, but I always keep in contact with certain people in the family and within the Trust. Like Damon and Stefan, the Trust is my source of income."

"That's amazing," Elena said. "It's really cool that all three of you brothers are still alive. So to speak." She had a genuine smile on her face, but it faded quickly.

"It is amazing," Peter said with a somewhat broader smile than before.

Elena suspected that, like Stefan, he was not one of your cheerful, laughing types, but he certainly was a nice old guy… no …elderly gentleman.

"Not to change the subject," Damon said to his brother, "but I have to ask if you came here to avenge Zach's demise?"

"No. I wanted an explanation and you gave it. I'm satisfied."

Damon nodded. "I really am sorry." It was hard for Elena to tell if he really was. Remorse was not his strong suit.

"So, what about Stefan?" Peter asked after a swallow of beer.

Elena listened while Damon told him about being bitten by a werewolf, the old vampire Klaus and the bargain Stefan had made with him.

Peter listened. It was obvious he had heard from someone else part of the story, but he was interested in the details Damon gave. He made no comment until Damon was through.

"So, you recovered from this werewolf bite, but Stefan is bound to Klaus and he's been turned back into a wanton killer," the old man summarized. "Any new word of where they are and what they are doing?"

"No. Early on, Stefan sent a text message to me that only proved that he was alive. He hasn't communicated lately. I think he ditched his old cell phone so it couldn't be traced to any location. Klaus is up to something and we don't know what. I've put out word to certain contacts to watch for the kind of activity that could mean Stefan is killing."

Peter nodded. "I was contacted by one of the family. I was in Australia in the middle of something. I doubt my presence here is of any help, but I wanted you to know that I care about the situation. It's not good for Stefan. Especially the killing spree."

"Stop it! Stop talking about him like this! It makes me _so_ angry!" Elena suddenly put in, bounding up from the sofa. She had had little to say while Damon told his story. "About what's happened to Stefan. And I'm _really _pissed because Damon keeps telling me Stefan does horrible things when he's like this. I know he can kill when he's addicted, but I just can't believe he'll really go on a rampage, like the fox."

"The fox?" Peter asked.

"The fox in the henhouse," Damon said. "I was telling her that when a fox raids a hen house, he only needs one chicken. But the hens panic. They fly around and squawk in a frenzy of fear. The fox goes into a frenzy of killing and mutilating every chicken he can get his teeth on. May even rip off wings or a head. He's on a blood-and-adrenaline rush. When he leaves with one dead chicken, he leaves behind a blood bath."

"No! Stefan is no damned fox!" Elena almost screamed at him as she bounded up off the sofa. "I'm outta here! Nice to meet you, Mr. Salvatore, but I can't sit here and listen to this." She stormed out the front door and this time neither man opened the door for her.

DAMON

"She's angry with me for trying to get her to face the truth," Damon said as he and Peter sat back down.

"She's very frightened because deep down she knows you're telling the truth," Peter said. "You like her."

"Of course, I do. What's not to like?"

"Is it more than that? Are you in love with your brother's girlfriend?"

"Why would you say that?" Damon asked, irritated both by Elena's leaving and by Peter's probing.

"I'm good at reading people. And you were sitting closer to her than you needed to be. Et cetera. It's all right, Damon. I'm not judging you. As you said, what's not to love?"

"I'll admit she means a lot to me. And if Stefan forgets to come back, I might have a chance with her. But don't get the wrong idea. I want to find Stefan and I want him to go back on blood bank blood or even animal blood. If he keeps on killing, sooner or later, he'll confront what he's doing and hate himself. He might kill himself, if someone doesn't kill him first."

"We don't want that. Have you had any leads at all?"

"Yes. I didn't want to say anything in front of Elena. She would want to jump in a car or get on a plane and go check it out. I've received a couple of emails and some newspaper clippings. If the attacks that were reported were really Stefan, and I think three of them are, then he and Klaus are moving around a lot. To other Eastern Seaboard states. I don't know what Klaus' plan was. Is. So I don't know why they're moving around."

"Looking for something? Someone?" Peter asked.

"Could be."

"And you say this man Klaus is a hybrid vampire/werewolf? I never have heard of such a thing."

"Me neither. In fact, I didn't really believe in werewolves until I found out there was one right here in town. One of the families carries the trait. I killed the one guy. Now, his nephew is one. He's the one who bit me."

"He's still alive?"

"Yeah. He's a high school kid like Elena. She knows what he is. I know he's scared and doesn't want to be what he is, but hell, he's a danger to me. I ought to kill him before the next full moon. Which is next week."

"It's a problem," Peter nodded. "I first heard about the werewolves when I was in Eastern Europe when the Soviet Union still existed. A woman there told me of a pack of them and she was quite convincing. She didn't tell me their bite was deadly to vampires."

The two men sat in silent thought for a minute or so, and then Peter asked, "Where is Zach buried?"

"I don't know. Stefan buried him and he didn't tell me where."

"You probably didn't ask, did you?"

"I didn't. I'm sorry, Peter. Things were a little crazy for me at the time."

"All right. Look, I assume that the day will come when you will leave this town again. Will the young lady want to continue to run this place?"

"I don't think so. She isn't running it now. She has a place of her own. I'm looking after things here. I want the Trust to assign a new person for whenever I leave. Especially if Stefan doesn't come back."

"I would like to recommend someone. My great granddaughter Theo. She's a Salvatore. She's seventy years old, but like me, she is mentally sharp. She is fairly active and she has good business sense. She has been working, running a nursing home, but she's had to retire. She's a widow. She was married to George Flowers, who worked for the Trust until he died ten years ago. Good man. Capable woman. Give it some thought, especially if no one else has been chosen to run this house."

"All right. If she wants the job when the time comes. The place could still be run as a B&B, but I don't want to do it. Stefan keeps a room here. He has since the place was built, I think."

"It could be kept for him," Peter nodded.

"Are you at a hotel? Do you want to stay here for a while? You're welcome to."

"I'd like to stay here. That would be nice," Peter said, nodding.

"Three people sort of come and go. Not that we have an open door, but they have been using rooms. One is Elena, although she sleeps in Stefan's room, for the most part. Another is Alaric Saltzman, though he's been sleeping at Elena's house. Her younger brother is there alone.

"The third person is Katherine Pierce. She's the Katherine I mentioned a while ago, who brought me the cure from Klaus. Have you met Katherine? I don't think you have. She's the one who turned Stefan and me."

"I thought you once told me she was locked forever in a tomb under a church."

"I was wrong. She never was trapped there. She just never let me know."

"Why?"

"Katherine's a bitch. Peter, she looks just like Elena, but not in her eyes. She's manipulative, lying and sometimes dangerous. So, if you see Elena here, don't be so sure it's her. Once you meet Katherine, you'll see or hear or feel the difference. Unless she's pretending to be Elena."

"And why does she have a room here?"

"She doesn't, officially. She uses some nook in the basement when she feels like it. Comes in somehow. She can be useful and she _did _save my life three weeks ago. Oh, and my lady friend Andie is also often here, but she doesn't have a room. Uses mine."

"This sounds interesting," Peter said with a small grin. "I'll only stay a few days. I have to be in Chicago in a while."

"Busy man, aren't you?"

"Yes, and I love it. I'll always be indebted to you for turning me when I asked you to. You're a good big brother."

Damon laughed and rolled his eyes. It was so rare that he was told he was a good man.

"Come on upstairs and I'll show you the empty rooms. You can choose one," he said, and he led the way. He pointed out the large room that had been Zach's, but was now his own. He indicated which rooms Elena and Alaric each had been using.

"Stefan's room is on the third floor. This house has a large attic, used mostly for storage, but there are two bedrooms up there, both with bathrooms. At one time one was used by a live-in housekeeper. The other is Stefan's. He has a lot of old stuff up there, things he's collected, plus books and his precious journals and diaries. I've read a few of them. I'm nosey," Damon admitted. "In addition, he sometimes uses the room we assigned Elena, especially if she is here. I don't know why. It's not like they don't have the energy to go up one more flight of stairs."

"I like this room that looks out to the back yard," Peter said, going to the window of the bedroom they were in. "May I use this one?"

"Yes. Maid service came last week, so the room is dusted and clean sheets are on the bed. They remake all the beds that aren't used once a month. There are towels, soap and shampoo in the bathroom closet. You can make yourself right at home. This will be fun, Peter. I'm glad you're here."

"So am I, big brother," The old man said to the young man. With a pleased smile and a chuckle, he added, "So am I."


	2. Chapter 2

THE OLD MAN

CHAPTER 2

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. Original characters, such as Peter, are mine.

A.N. I'm pleased quite a few people read Chapter 1. I hope you all liked it. In this new chapter: Peter snoops. Elena runs into trouble. Can Peter help her? Any reviews of "The Old Man" are welcome.

PETER - THE NEXT MORNING

The brothers had breakfast together and then Damon headed out to take care of some business downtown. Left alone, Peter decided to explore the house. In truth, he had been in this house at least a half dozen times over the years, even before he became a vampire. However, he had not really had a chance to explore, because during the previous visits the rooms had been in use, both when the place was a rooming house and when it was a B&B.

Not only that, but on some visits, he had only stopped by for an hour or two just to chat with the person running the place, especially Zach. He felt it was a shame that Damon had killed Zach, who had been a really nice man. However, the past had to be let go and he was willing to do that. He felt Damon had not killed Zach out of meanness, but more out of what he saw as necessary to save himself.

In any case, Peter now found himself in an empty house. He could roam around the place and explore all the rooms. Damon had given him a glimpse of the bedrooms and they had walked through the downstairs rooms, but he wanted to look at things at a more leisurely pace. He went up to the bedrooms first and started with the room that had been Zach's. It was a nice big room with manly furniture and a big modern bathroom. The bed was neatly made and no clothes or dirty towels were lying around. There was no maid on a daily basis, so Damon must be the one to keep his room neat.

After only a moment's hesitation, Peter, peeked into the closet. Like Damon, he was sometimes nosey. He saw that Damon had expensive clothes, even if many of them were jeans and casual shirts, mostly blue or black. He also owned a couple of good suits and there were several folded dress shirts. He liked leather jackets. There were a couple of ties in the current style hanging up. His shoes and boots were clean, except for some grungy gym shoes. There was even a fedora hat on a shelf. Peter had seen Damon wearing one once.

A couple of items of woman's clothing also hung in the closet, smelling of a nice perfume. Hm, Peter thought. The lady friend Damon had mentioned?

The dresser drawers had Damon's underwear, socks and other such items. A bottom drawer just made Peter smile. Elsewhere in the room, there were some books in a bookcase and a couple of decorative items, but no real clutter. A framed painting graced one wall. The drapery at the windows was heavy enough to shut out sunlight if necessary.

The other bedrooms were smaller with smaller bathrooms, but all the rooms were nice. He saw that some of Elena's things were in "her" room. She had a few clothes in the closet and in the dresser. Her scent lingered there.

Peter finally decided that, as long as he was snooping, he wanted to see Stefan's room. He went up the stairs to the third floor, which had a carpeted hallway with various doors. After trying several of these, he found the one to Stefan's room. The door was not locked and he went in.

Unlike Damon's room, Stefan's was cluttered with old things, memorabilia, books and the journals Damon had mentioned. The bed was neatly made and the bathroom clean, probably the work of the monthly maids. The clothes in the closet were a combination of inexpensive and expensive brands. Some were laundered and some bore Stefan scent.

Peter knew that the brothers were forever buying new clothes because they often left a town without notice or time to pack. But then again, they frequently did have the opportunity to take things with them. They also could pack and send clothing and other things to the Salvatore Trust, which stored them and shipped them out again if requested. The system worked for the most part and Peter himself used it.

He decided to look at one of the journals and chose one with the date 1882 on it, the year he himself was 29. He didn't feel especially guilty about reading Stefan's private thoughts, especially when he found that some of the writing was Stefan's observations on the time and place he was in. Peter sat in a chair by the small window and read.

ELENA - THE SAME MORNING

Elena drove to the Salvatore house after she and Jeremy had eaten breakfast. It was Saturday morning and she had no plans. She and Stefan had looked forward to summer vacation, and now she felt totally lost without him. There were things she could be doing, should be doing, but she lacked interest and motivation. A month of summer had gone by, wasted, as she brooded about Stefan and what was happening to him.

Bonnie was away and Elena really missed her. So did Jeremy, of course. Some time was spent with Caroline, but she also was involved with Tyler. There was Matt who was still a close friend, but he had a summer job and was usually working. There was a lot of responsibility on his shoulders with his mother gone and his sister dead. He had their house to take care of, bills and all.

The truth was that she was spending more time with Damon, hoping he would learn something about his brother. His brother Stefan. How weird that the third brother had shown up. She liked Peter, but she related to him differently because he was an old man.

When she arrived at the big house, she didn't see any cars. Damon tended to park in the driveway, as had Stefan. Peter's car could be in the garage or he may have left town already. She got out her key to the front door, but found it unlocked, so she went inside. She then glanced into the living room, but neither Damon nor Peter was there. She was about to turn around and go check the study when suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, putting an arm around her waist and a sharp knife against the front of her neck.

"Don't move, girlie, or I'll cut your throat! Do you understand?" a rough voice said into her right ear. She could smell cigarette smoke on his breath.

Terrified, she nodded. Who was this and why was he in the house? Why was he attacking her? She protectively used both hands to hold onto his right arm, the one holding the knife that glinted in the light.

"Where's the damn safe?"

"The what?" she managed to ask with a tremor in her voice.

"The safe. The _safe!_"

"I don't know. I'm just a guest here," she said, hoping he would believe her. Then again, if she didn't have the answer he wanted, he might kill her. If she fought too hard, he might kill her, so she tried to hold still. "I don't even know if they have a safe."

"Of course they do! A friend of mine stayed here two years ago and they put his money in a safe. I've looked in both these rooms and I can't find it. Is there an office?"

"Just the corner of the study and you already looked there," Elena said, pointing in that direction.

"What's upstairs?"

"Just bedrooms. I don't think there's a safe up there."

"Well, cupcake, let's go see," the man said and he pushed her toward the stairs. He made her go up the stairs sideways so that he could stay close behind her, the knife still at her throat. The blade was sharp and it had cut her skin. She could feel a warm trickle of blood running down between her breasts.

"How did you get in? Wasn't the door locked?" Elena asked.

"I picked the lock. What do you think?" the man growled in her ear as they reached the top of the stairs.

Just then they heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs to the attic. The man froze and whispered in her ear, "Who's here?"

"I don't know. This place takes in guests," Elena said, hoping it was Damon or even Stefan.

"Elena, is that you?" came Peter's voice, except Elena thought it was a weaker

voice than the one Peter had been using. Assuming that Peter had a vampire's strength, her hopes of rescue went up considerably.

The stairway to the attic rooms was adjacent to the main staircase, so in a moment Peter came into view. The man behind Elena said nothing, but she could tell he was watching Peter and assessing the situation. The knife bit deeper into her neck.

Peter was tapping his cane and had a good grip on the railing as he slowly came down, step by step, feeling his way like a blind man. He was carrying himself in a stooped manner and he stared straight ahead. He had removed his glasses, which Elena had learned were just for show because old men usually needed glasses.

"Elena, are you here?" he asked, not looking her way.

"Yes, Peter. I'm over here," Elena said, not mentioning her captor. She knew Peter could see him even without looking directly at him. She suspected that the thief felt no fear of Peter and might be thinking of throwing the old man down the stairs.

Peter reached the bottom step and moved to come toward where Elena stood. He tapped his cane in front of him and stared past her as if he could not see her and the man. "I'm glad you came today, dear," Peter said.

Elena hoped her captor didn't realize she had been sort of lying when she said she was a guest at the house. She could hear the man's breathing and guessed that Peter could, too. The fellow remained silent otherwise as the old man approached.

Peter moved in a blur, getting behind the burglar, simultaneously grabbing the man's knife arm and snapping his neck.

Elena heard the neck bones crunch and the fellow collapsed behind her. She turned and glanced down at him. She could see his eyes and knew he was neither unconscious nor dead yet, but he would be in moments. Paralyzed, he looked terrified and astounded.

Peter bent down, called him a nasty name and then picked him up, carrying him in his arms down a couple of the steps.

"I'm going to drop him, Elena. I want you to give him a push."

"Why?" she asked, confused by his actions.

"Please do it, dear. It's important," Peter urged.

Elena came down the steps to stand beside Peter. She was disturbed by the fact that the thief was still alive. Nevertheless, as Peter held the fellow out past the railing, she gave the man's legs a little push. Peter dumped him headfirst, letting him fall to the stairs below the landing. If the fellow was not dead a moment ago, he was now.

Knowing his fingers didn't leave prints, Peter carefully picked up the knife and tossed it down beyond the body. He then looked at Elena and nodded. "You have a cut on your neck, but I don't think it's serious. Touch it and get blood on your hand. Okay, now use that hand on the railing as you go down the stairs. And then take your cell phone and call 911. Your story is that he attacked you up here and wanted you to go down the stairs. When he seemed to lose his balance for a moment, you managed to shove him and he fell right over the railing. How does that sound?"

"I can do that. Yes. You don't want me to mention you, right?"

"Correct. I'll go up to Stefan's room and lock the door. If it becomes necessary, I'll say I'm hard of hearing and didn't know what was going on, but hopefully they'll not know I'm here at all. Are you all right, besides the wound?"

"Yes. I'm okay. Just a little shaken. I've been through worse," Elena assured him. She also watched him pick up his fallen cane and go back up the attic stairs with more energy than when he had come down them.

Having slid her bloody hand down the railing to the landing, she took out her cell phone and made the call. She made her voice a little shakier than she was really feeling. In fact, she sat on the first step below the landing and felt anger. How dare that bastard break into the house and try to steal! How dare he hold a knife to her neck! Well, he was dead now and he could go to hell.

It didn't take long for Sheriff Liz Forbes to arrive along with a deputy. In fact, a crime scene crew arrived. Elena answered questions and told the story she had agreed to tell.

In the middle of all this, Damon came home, rushing into the house.

"What happened?" he demanded of Liz. "Elena, how badly are you hurt?" He came up the stairs to where she still sat, Liz beside her. He had to step over the body to get there, despite the objections of the other people. He sat beside Elena and put his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm all right, Damon. Just a little cut," she said, trying to reassure him. She knew he was not only worried about her, but he was probably dying to lick the blood from her neck and right down between her breasts. Whatever he was feeling about that, he gave no indication.

"But what the hell happened? Who is that?" Damon asked, nodding at the body.

"He was trying to rob the house and I walked in. He put a knife to my throat," Elena said, and she almost blabbed the truth about the incident, but she caught herself. She leaned against him and felt safe in his arms.

Liz spoke up then, saying, "Damon, Elena should have that wound looked after. Why don't you drive her over to the E.R.? Elena, when you can, come by my office to make an official statement. Okay?"

"Okay," Elena said, nodding. She saw that the body was being moved and she was able to walk down the stairs with Damon holding onto her arm to steady her. When they went outside, they saw that several neighbors were standing around gawking. Ignoring them, Damon opened the passenger door of his car and let Elena get in.

Once they were both in the car, Damon said, "I'll take you to your house. I'll put a little of my blood on the wound and it'll heal. You can put a bandage over it to look like you went to the hospital. On second thought, I'll just heal the ends of the cut so you'll have a smaller scar. You'll have to be able to show something. Liz and others saw the wound."

"All right, but don't make me swallow any of your blood," Elena insisted.

"I won't. I'll just put it on my finger. What happened back there?" he asked as he drove down the street.

Elena told him what had really happened.

"So Peter is tucked away in Stefan's room. Well, he's got plenty of reading material up there. Good old Peter to the rescue, huh?"

"You should have seen him. He was a convincing old blind man. The guy never saw Peter move. I am so thankful he was there."

"So am I," Damon said and he reached out and gave her arm a squeeze. "Damned thankful."

A.N - I am going to add at least one more chapter about Peter. Maybe two. Any comments?


	3. Chapter 3

THE OLD MAN

CHAPTER 3

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. Original characters, such as Peter and Sandra, are mine.

A. N. Peter meets some of Damon's friends. Peter also meets Katherine, who is sweet and then catty.

THAT SAME EVENING

PETER

Peter had had an interesting day following the incident of the burglar. Damon had taken him here and there around town, although he had avoided the sheriff's office. Damon said he knew the sheriff well, but didn't want her to realize that Peter had likely been at the house when the attack on Elena had occurred. Peter didn't want that either.

There had only been two places they had gone where Damon had introduced Peter as his brother instead of as Mr. Andreopoulos. One was at the home of Henry and Sandra Reynolds. Both the husband and the wife knew what Damon was, and they knew Damon had had a second brother, younger than Stefan. That Peter was still in existence as a vampire had been a real surprise to them, in addition to the fact that he was elderly in appearance.

Peter had been impressed with the fact that Damon had taught Henry, a brand new vampire, how to hunt without killing and had started him out on blood bank blood. It was something Peter would have expected Stefan to do, rather than Damon. It was beginning to dawn on the old man that living in Mystic Falls and falling in love with Elena had changed Damon and that was good. Damon had spent way too many years suppressing his humanity and his conscience.

Damon had also introduced Peter as his brother to another school teacher, Alaric Saltzman. Peter liked this man who was not a vampire sympathizer, but was still on the side of Damon, Stefan, Elena and their friends against Klaus and others who were a threat to the good people of Mystic Falls. It was good that Damon had another adult to turn to when some dangerous work had to be done, especially with Stefan gone.

Now, it was late in the evening and Peter was coming down from Stefan's room where he had been reading more of this brother's diaries. He had formed a better understanding of the middle brother than he had ever had before. As he reached the bottom step from the attic, he saw a young woman coming up the stairs from the first floor. His first impression was that it was Elena, but he knew she was out socializing with Damon somewhere and was wearing different clothes. Therefore, this lovely young woman must be the vampire Katherine.

Perhaps her clothing was a bit more daring than Elena's and perhaps she swung her derriere more suggestively than Elena did, and her long hair was curlier, but she otherwise could be her identical twin.

"Hello," he said in a pleasant voice, hiding the fact that Damon had told him to beware of Katherine.

"Well, hello there," she said, boldly looking him up and down. Elena would not have done that, not so openly. "And who might you be?"

"My card says I am Theo Andreopoulos, but you may call me Peter. I'm a guest here for a couple of days."

"You don't say? How nice to meet you," Katherine said, coming up to stand facing him in the hallway. She looked him in the eyes intently and the corners of her mouth quirked a bit as she offered her right hand, which he took. He raised it up and kissed it in an old-fashioned way.

He felt her fingers touch the silver and lapis ring and he couldn't miss the twinkle in her eyes that was bold and suggestive. He might be an old man, but he was a vampire and vampires were healthy in most respects. And no man was blind to the look of a lovely woman. He let his hand close on hers in a little squeeze.

"You have a room here, then," she said, more than asked, her eyes and expression suggestively inviting.

"I do. I was heading that way now, but why don't we go downstairs and have a drink. And chat."

"We can chat in your room. And whatever," she whispered, her intention clear. She obviously didn't care that he looked somewhat elderly. She liked to ask questions and find answers.

Peter knew she was curious about his abilities in bed. Which was stronger: his apparent age or his vampire's health? She was aggressive in a demure way.

"I think not, my dear. You are Katherine, aren't you?"

"Damon warned you about me," she said with a pout. "That wasn't very nice of him. He probably said 'Watch out for that bitch Katherine.' Still, he doesn't chase me out of _his_ bed. Neither does he own me. I sleep with whoever I want."

"As do I. I'd like to get to know you, but not in my room. A drink downstairs, my dear?"

"All right," Katherine said, giving up, and she looped her arm through his as he offered it to her as a gentleman. They went down the stairs and into the study. He poured a drink for himself and asked what she wanted. He poured what she requested, handed it to her and then sat beside her on the sofa.

"I've only met a few of our kind who were turned at an advanced age," she said. "How did it happen to you?"

Peter decided to tell her the truth and was pleased to see her surprise. She obviously had not known that Damon and Stefan had another brother. She laughed with delight when she learned this.

"You were probably lucky to be brought up with another family," she said. "Damon's father was not the nicest man. He was abusive to Damon and abrupt with Stefan. And he tried to get me into his bed while I was there. He wasn't the one I wanted. Actually, I wanted both Stefan and Damon, but things didn't work out. Mean old Giuseppe finally figured out what I was and plotted against me."

"Damon has told me about our father. I was brought up in a much more caring family."

"Did you marry and have a family?"

"Oh, yes. A loving wife and six children who lived. Grandchildren. Great grandchildren. I had a wonderful life, really. And this afterlife has not been bad, either. Now, tell me about your family."

Katherine told him she had been born Katerina Petrova in 1475 in Bulgaria. Her life had not been bad at all, for the time and place, until she had met certain people when she was sixteen, going on seventeen. She had become pregnant. She had met Elijah and Klaus. She had learned that she was a doppelganger, which made no sense to her, and that Klaus wanted to kill her. She was seventeen when her baby girl was taken from her as soon as it was born. And she had saved herself from being sacrificed by Klaus by becoming a vampire.

Peter listened to this story with compassion. Katherine was a child, in a way, but the years and experiences had made her so much more. The years themselves had made her quite powerful as a vampire, and despite her youthful look, she was centuries older that Peter.

"You've lived in some interesting times," he said.

"I've found that we each live in interesting times. Don't you agree?"

"Actually, I do. You are quite right, my dear."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Damon and Elena, who spotted them in the study and entered the room, too. Peter automatically stood up.

"I see you two have met," Damon said, rolling his eyes. "Katherine."

"Damon," she said with a smile, which turned to a smirk as she eyed Elena. "Did you kids have fun?"

"We had a nice evening," Elena informed her.

"Did he bite you?" Katherine demanded, touching the front of her own neck upon seeing the small bandage on the front of Elena's throat.

"No! He didn't bite me. It's a cut," Elena snapped, frowning at her "twin."

"Play nice," Damon said. "Elena, want a Coke or something else."

"A Coke's fine." She sat in one of the chairs and Peter took his seat again.

"Playing it safe, huh, missy?" Katherine said with a snort. "Has he gotten you into his bed yet?"

"Katherine!" Damon said in a warning tone.

"Oh, come on. Everyone knows you want her there. A little screwing around where your brother left off. Your brother Stefan, that is. How come you never mentioned you had another brother?"

Peter could see that Damon was getting angry and Elena was embarrassed.

Katherine had been quite pleasant until the two had walked in. Her hostile, catty side was showing now.

"Katherine, why don't you find something else to do?" Damon suggested, his tone cold. "Like, some_where _else." He raised his eyebrows and stared at her meaningfully.

Katherine gave him a distasteful look and got up. "Nice meeting you, Peter. You're such a gentleman compared to someone we both know. Good night, Miss _Tease._

Ta, guys." In a moment she had sashayed out of the room, heading down the hall toward the kitchen or the back door.

Peter, who had stood when she did, felt a moment of regret at her leaving. He had enjoyed talking to her. There was silence in the room long enough for Katherine to probably be out of earshot.

"Ain't she sweet?" Damon said to Peter and they both sat down.

"She was until you two arrived," Peter said, shaking his head slightly. "Jealousy?" he asked, nodding his head toward the departed Katherine.

"I suppose so. I'm never sure about her," Damon said. "She's the one who is something of a tease, wiggling her backside and making suggestive comments. She's not above groping a guy."

"Do you see me as a tease?" Elena asked, upset that Katherine thought she was sexually teasing Damon. "I don't mean to be. You know I see you as a good friend, Damon. A good friend that I depend on."

"No, you're not a tease, Elena. I know where you stand. I know it's Stefan, not me, that you love." Damon said. "Don't let Katherine get to you." He took a sip of his drink.

"I try not to. But I don't want to be guilty of leading you on."

"Hey, I'm a big boy. And I'm a realist," Damon said a bit defensively. His tone softened when he added, "Okay?"

Elena nodded and she reached out to touch his hand where it rested on the arm of his chair. Damon turned his arm over quickly and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. He lifted it to his lips and gave it a little kiss. He then let go.

Peter, knowing how much Damon loved Elena, felt sorry for him, but he didn't let it show.

"She _is j_ealous," Elena said to Peter. "She apparently has always felt love for Stefan, and she knows he loves me. She also admitted that she once loved Damon, too. Maybe she _still_ does. So his feelings for me make her jealousy worse. I can't do anything about how she feels. To hell with her." Elena's annoyance with the "twin" was definitely showing.

Peter realized that this was not a love triangle between Elena, Stefan and Damon; it really involved four people. According to Katherine, Damon was not above being intimate with her if they were both in the mood. Surely Damon was also "sleeping" with some other woman or women when he felt like it, since Elena was not doing it. Then he remembered Damon mentioning a woman named Andie. Was she a serious player in this crowded picture?

"Damon, I think I'd like to go home instead of sleeping here tonight. I don't like that Katherine is in the house," Elena said, standing up.

"All right. I don't blame you, I guess," Damon said with a sigh, also getting up. He had to drive her home.

Peter stood, too, disappointed to see the nicer of the two girls leave. She told him good night. As he watched the two young people leave the room, he wondered what would happen if Stefan didn't return. He saw Damon put a hand on Elena's shoulder as they went out into the hall and she didn't shrug it off. Did Elena care enough to shift her love to Damon? Was she unconsciously sexually teasing Damon by allowing subtle contact with him? Even if she wasn't, would she some day willingly go to his bed? Would Damon eventually get tired of waiting and force her? Peter hoped it didn't come to that.

He sat back down on the sofa in the study and waited, thinking. He was in no hurry to go to bed, nor was he impatient to be doing something else.

Eventually, Damon returned. He didn't seem annoyed anymore about the turn of events. He picked up his drink, took a sip and plopped down in a chair, putting his feet up on a hassock.

"Hardly ever a dull moment," he said to Peter.

"It would all be amusing if there were not a lot of hurt feelings," Peter said. "You have much love for her, don't you? Elena, I mean, of course."

"Yeah. As I told you, I once loved Katherine. A lot. For well over a hundred years. But she betrayed me and that really hurt. As Elena said, the hell with her." He emptied his glass and rose to get a refill.

Despite the late hour, the doorbell sounded. Damon set down his glass and went to answer it. He returned with a pretty woman. Peter guessed she was about thirty.

"Peter, this is my friend Andie Starr. Andie, this is my old friend Theo Andreopoulos, but call him Peter."

Peter, who had once again stood up, shook the hand the woman offered. He guessed that Damon did not want her to know that they were brothers. Obviously Damon did not intend to sleep alone this night and he had called her and asked her to come to the house. And here she was. Did she come because she independently wanted to or because Damon compelled her? She smiled at Peter as she sat on the same sofa.

Damon offered her a drink and she accepted. While Damon sat in a chair, quietly listening, she talked to Peter and he found her to be mature in her attitude and well mannered. As an investigative reporter she was inquisitive and knowledgeable. He thought she was better for Damon than the teenaged Elena. Unfortunately, over time Andie would grow further from Damon's apparent age, while Elena would grow into it.

"Sweetie, why don't you go on upstairs and I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" Damon eventually said. Andie agreed, said goodnight to Peter and left the room.

"I want to check for messages before I go up," Damon told Peter, who was sipping his drink.

In a minute, Damon muttered a curse from his place at the computer.

"No news or bad news?" Peter asked, getting up and walking over to Damon.

"Mostly no news. No one seems to know where Klaus and Stefan are right now. But one of my contacts says he found out that Klaus is strongly bisexual. That's not good news for Stefan."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Klaus may only hook up with other interested men. I assume Stefan isn't interested."

"Stefan's as straight as they come. But in situations like this … He's indebted to Klaus. Bound to him, so there's no telling what he might have to agree to. Or be forced to do. Things just keep getting worse for our brother."

"Damon, Stefan has been a vampire for one hundred forty six or seven years. I'm sure he has figured out how to handle that kind of situation by now," Peter said evenly.

"Tolerate it, more likely," Damon said with a snort as he closed down the computer. "I'm going upstairs. Are you going to hang out down here or shall I turn out the lights?"

Peter decided he was ready to go to his room, so he helped Damon turn off various lights. He was about to head up the back stairs from the kitchen when Katherine came along the hall. Where did she come from? he wondered.

"Damon," she said as the young man came from the kitchen. "I think I'm going to leave town for a while. Try not to miss me too much."

"Where are you going?"

"Does it matter? I may see if I can find Stefan. Or maybe I'll just go out to see some friends in L.A."

"If you find Stefan, do you think you can let me know?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe. I'll see," Katherine said. She suddenly leaned close to him and planted a quick kiss on his mouth. He didn't react in any way. She then headed for the back door and left, leaving the two men staring at the empty doorway.

Peter wondered if she had a car and if she took luggage.

Damon touched fingers to his lips and, after a moment, wiped away her kiss. He then moved to the back door and locked it.

"Maybe she'll get lucky and find Stefan. _Maybe_ she'll even let me know," he said with a snort. "Anything I can get for you before I go upstairs?"

"No, I'm fine, Damon. I'm going to my room and read. Anything I need, I'm sure I can find," Peter assured him.

They went up the back staircase together, Peter stopping at his room and Damon going on toward the front of the house to his bedroom, where Andie waited. Peter was pleased that Damon had Andie to relieve the frustration he felt over Elena. Apparently Andie knew what the situation was and accepted it. Peter hoped Andie would be there for Damon for some time to come.

A.N. I appreciate that quite a few people have read the Old Man chapters. Thank you. But I don't know if you all really _like_ them. I have a couple more chapters in mind if I get some reviews that say you all want them. I'm having fun writing TVD stories.

A.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. Original characters, such as Peter, are mine.

A.N. Peter tells Damon of a woman he knew out west. He meets Jeremy, and he wraps up his visit with Damon.

PETER

Damon, Andie and Peter had breakfast together. Peter noticed that Andie didn't seem to mind that the men drank glasses of blood with their fried eggs, toast and bacon, which Damon cooked. Dressed nicely for work, she herself drank coffee and orange juice and ate scrambled eggs. Peter saw that she had a pretty silk scarf around her neck and he guessed that it hid a bite mark. As she prepared to leave, she told Peter she was pleased to have met him. She then gave Damon a quick kiss on the cheek, wiped lipstick from his skin and then she left.

"She keeps clothes here, I take it," Peter said as he and Damon continued to sit at the table. Of course, he already knew that because of his snooping.

Damon grinned and nodded. "A few. I enjoy her company, but don't get me wrong, I don't love her. I guess I'm quite _fond_ of her. And she puts up with me, despite some stuff I've done." He got up to get more coffee. "Want some more?"

"Yes, thank you. Is Andie compelled?"

"Yes and no. I know some things she does when she's with me are of her own choice. I get the feeling she really does like spending time with me. And why not? I'm a fun guy." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure," Peter said with a chuckle. "Andie reminds me so much of a woman I knew once. Years ago when I was using the name James Sullivan. I was out in Arizona for a while working in a hotel. Polly was the woman's name. She was a widow with a little girl. Her husband had died in World War II in the Normandy invasion."

Damon wondered if Peter had fallen in love with this Polly woman. If she was at all like Andie, he could understand that. However, it sounded like there was a big age difference between the woman and Peter.

"It wasn't Polly that Andie reminds me of. Polly and the child lived with her mother Mary Ann in the mother's small house," Peter continued. "I found the older woman quite outspoken, but charming. Mary Ann and I actually became rather close. She was in her early seventies. I honestly considered marrying her, but then I thought it wasn't fair to her. I couldn't stay in that town more than three or four years. In fact, after two years, I moved on."

"I think the one thing I regret most is having to always move on," Damon said, nodding. He took a bite of toast, slathered with grape jelly, and sipped from his glass of blood. From a vampire's point of view, blood went well with everything.

"I didn't totally abandon the family, though," Peter continued. "For several years I regularly sent Mary Ann some money. She and Polly and the child were barely getting by. I did that until I learned that Polly had finally remarried and Mary Ann moved in with them. I know that the granddaughter later married and has a family still in Arizona. She doesn't know I'm still alive, of course."

Damon nodded, and he then admitted, "Years ago I fell in love with a girl out in San Francisco. She knew what I was. She really wanted us to marry, so we did and we adopted a baby girl. We were together for several years until that damned earthquake of 1906 took them from me."

"I didn't know that," Peter said. "I'm sorry. That must have been hard for you."

"It was, but you know how we vampires are. We can shut those annoying emotions away. I certainly did. Flipped the switch. You'd think I would know better by now not to fall in love. Like with sweet Elena," Damon said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"Love is a sneaky thing," Peter agreed.

Both men fell silent, but became alert as they heard someone walking down the hall toward the kitchen. Peter was facing the door and saw a tallish youth walk in.

Damon was also looking up at the boy. "Jeremy, what's up?" he asked.

"I was looking for Elena. She left the house and I thought she might have come over here. Has she been here?"

"No. Peter, this is Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's brother. Jeremy, this is Mr. Andreopoulos," Damon said.

Peter stood up and offered his hand to the boy. He and Jeremy shook hands. Both of them noticed that the other wore an interesting ring. Jeremy didn't say anything, but Peter did. He knew Jeremy's was not a vampire's protective ring. In fact, he recalled that the teacher Alaric had been wearing a similar ring. How odd.

"I don't believe I've ever seen a ring quite like that," Peter said, lying, but wanting an explanation.

"It's … um … a Gilbert family ring," Jeremy stammered. Although he looked at Peter with a questioning expression, he didn't ask if Peter was a vampire. "I better go. I just wanted to ask if you'd seen Elena. Nice meeting you, sir."

"Did you try to phone her?" Damon asked as Jeremy moved toward the hall.

"I did, but I think her phone is turned off or the battery is dead. It isn't that important anyway. See you."

"I think I made him nervous," Peter said softly when Jeremy had gone down the hall.

"He's a good kid, basically. He may think he's seeing ghosts. Vampire ghosts. He asked me about them, but he wouldn't explain."

"I've never heard of vampire ghosts. What's that ring he wears?"

"It's a protective ring, somewhat like ours. But it has the power to bring a human back to life if they are killed by someone supernatural like us. Like I killed his uncle, who was wearing a similar ring, and the damned man came back to life," Damon explained. "Oh yeah, I also killed Jeremy, but he seems to have forgiven me for that."

"You have your faults," Peter observed. He had not forgotten that Damon had killed Zach who, unfortunately, had not had one of those rings.

Peter finished the last of his glass of blood. "Well, big brother, much as I have enjoyed staying here with you and meeting your friends, I really need to get on to Chicago and attend to business. I'm going to drive so I'll have my car with me there."

"I wish you could stay longer. When do you plan to leave?"

"As soon as I get packed. I'll keep in touch. I certainly want to know what you find out about Stefan."

DAMON

Two hours later, Damon watched the youngest/oldest Salvatore brother drive away. He was surprised to feel a bit sad to see him go. With a sigh, he turned back into the house. He sat down at the computer, but his mind wandered to the conversation he and Peter had had at the breakfast table.

Peter had almost married a lady named Mary Ann who was in her seventies in the 1940's. Out west. There were probably hundreds of women named Mary Ann out west at that time, but he was reminded of one Mary Ann whom he had met when she was an orphaned child in the 1870's. He had called her "Sweetie" most of the time. Was it even remotely possible the two Mary Anns were the same person? He sat at the desk for some time remembering.

Damon recalled that he had stayed in the town where he had taken the rescued child and her two little kittens for most of a year before moving on. He had enjoyed his time with the Allysens, who had kept little Mary Ann. Now, he really wondered if the child had grown up, married and had a daughter named Polly. Had Peter almost married that same Mary Ann, who would have been in her seventies at the time? If so, it was quite a coincidence!

Oh well, Damon thought. So much for reminiscing. He had more important things to worry about, like could he get Stefan away from Klaus and what were his own chances of winning Elena's heart? A grin came to his face when he heard the front door open and Elena's voice call, "Damon, are you here?"

As he stood up from the computer desk and faced the door to the hall, he let his imagination run wild with a brief fantasy. Elena would run into his arms and press her body up against his in the intimate way that Katherine would. And as she kissed him passionately, she would slide a hand way down between them, touching him and fumbling with his zipper, showing him what she was ready for. "It's _you_ I want, Damon," she would whisper urgently.

However, when he walked to the front hall, Elena was standing just inside the front door arguing on her phone with Jeremy. She put the phone away with a frown. "Little brothers!" she snapped, shaking her head. "Hey, I just came by to see if you had heard any more about Stefan."

Well, Damon thought, so much for any possible hugs, kisses, touches or undone zippers. With a smirk, he said, "And good morning to you, too, Elena. Nope. Nothing new on our sweet Stefan. Yet."

A.N. Not much action there. Sorry. However, I have some ideas for Peter. Is there any possibility that he would run into Stefan or Klaus in a big city like Chicago? A review or two would give me encouragement to keep going.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. Original characters, such as Peter, are mine.

A.N. In Chicago, Peter finds people from Mystic Falls. This is before Damon and Elena arrive in the city.

"Imagine Meeting You Here."

After leaving Mystic Falls and driving to Chicago, Peter took a room at a nice hotel where he had stayed before. His first business appointment was with a wealthy manufacturer, and he concluded a deal, which pleased him

The second businessman was divorced and lived on a nice power boat in a marina on Lake Michigan. Peter knew this, so he was not surprised when the meeting was to take place at the marina.

Peter had liked boats since he was a child with the Howlands, his mother's family. When the Civil War ended, the Howlands of Richmond had repaired their damaged homes and resumed their lives, despite having lost two family members to the war. One of the family's loves was boating on the nearby river and the bay beyond.

When Peter was a child, he was a true part of the Howland family, which included three households in those days. The aunt, uncle and cousins he actually lived with insisted he keep the name Salvatore. In fact, he had been brought up to believe that the Salvatores were a good family, despite the fact that his troubled father hadn't wanted him at the farming estate.

Now, he called ahead from his hotel room and he took a taxi to the marina where the businessman met him near the sidewalk. Together, they walked along the dock until they came to the good-sized boat. Mr. Formant stepped aboard and bid Peter join him. They settled inside the well-appointed craft and the business man poured them drinks.

Peter was representing a company in Australia. The business would to be conducted over the next few days. On this day he only stayed two hours and after the session with Formant, they spoke for a couple of minutes on the dock, and then Peter walked back toward the parking lot. He tended to watch where he was stepping as he walked along the dock with his cane and when he looked up, he found himself facing his brother Stefan. What a surprise!

"Stefan!" Peter said, not only surprised, but very pleased to see his other brother. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Same here," Stefan said, grinning. He moved to Peter and gave him a reserved hug. Peter returned it with enthusiasm. Peter was a hugger.

"What are you doing in Chicago?" Peter asked, stepping back from his taller brother.

"I'm just traveling around with a friend," Stefan said. "What about you?"

"Business. With the man that owns that boat over there," Peter said. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good. Peter, um … be honest with me. Have you talked to Damon? Do you know what's going on?" Stefan's expression was serious. Stefan was always serious.

"First of all, I've been living in Australia for several years," Peter said with an equally serious expression. "I've been a bit out of the information loop. But weeks ago, Damon sent out word for people to be on the lookout for you. Since I had business here in the U.S. of A., I stopped in at Mystic Falls a few days ago. So, yes, to both your questions. I know some of what's going on."

"I see. Can I ask you not to tell Damon I'm here in Chicago?"

Peter looked away for a moment and then back, studying his brother's young face. He had told Damon he would let him know if he ran into Stefan and here he was. How much trouble was he in? "Do you need help, Stefan?"

"No. Damon probably told you I'm with a man named Klaus, who is a vampire/werewolf hybrid. He can be very dangerous, Peter. Do you know who Elena is?"

"Yes. Lovely young lady. She loves you devotedly."

Stefan shook his head in frustration. Peter suspected it was over her stubbornness, but perhaps the young man was amazed that she loved him so much, despite everything he'd supposedly done.

"It's important that Klaus not learn that she's alive, Peter. He _must_ continue to think she's dead, that he killed her!" Stefan said in an urgent, but hushed, voice. "Damon and Elena have got to stop trying to track me and Klaus. Klaus knows Damon is seeking information. He could go after Damon. He would find out about Elena. So, please don't tell Damon where I am. Or wait several days. A week. I may be gone from here by then. Please, Peter."

"I'll consider it," Peter said, nodding. "I've heard of Klaus and you're right that he's a danger to Damon and Elena. I'm not anxious to throw them together. All right. A week at the most, Stefan."

"Thank you! Now, do you have time to go get coffee or a drink? I'd love to talk to you. It's been ages," Stefan said, obviously relieved that Peter was not going to call Damon right away.

They ended up at a coffee shop. They hadn't seen each other in thirty years and had stories to tell. Somehow, they avoided what was presently happening. Peter enjoyed talking to his brother and was pleased to see him grin at a couple of funny things that were mentioned. To Peter, Stefan seemed to be all right.

Finally, Stefan looked at the clock on the wall and said, "I need to go, Peter. But I'm so glad we ran into each other."

"So am I. But look, I really need to ask you something personal," Peter said seriously.

"What?" Stefan asked warily.

"There are two reasons I asked you before if you needed help. One is that I know you've been on a rampage," Peter said in a hushed voice so no one else could overhear. "I want to know if you need help stopping."

"I don't. I'm hoping that's over. I was doing it for _him._ What is the other question?"

"Damon found out this Klaus fellow is quite actively bisexual. My question is, do you need help in that department? Is there anything I can do?"

"No. I'm handling it. Being with a man is not my first choice, I can swear to that. But you can tell Damon I'm all right. I wasn't 'born yesterday,' and 'this ain't my first rodeo,' as they say. I'm okay. Really. Peter, whatever you do, don't go near Klaus. You don't want him to know about you at all."

"All right, Stefan," Peter said. He could tell that his brother would like to end that relationship, but there were reasons to keep Klaus occupied and away from Mystic Falls. This was obviously a sacrifice Stefan was willing to make. He definitely still cared about the safety of young Miss Elena. And probably that of Damon, too.

They went outside, hugged each other and stood at the curb while Peter waited to hail a taxi. He listened while Stefan took out his cell phone, turned it on and then phoned someone, probably Klaus, and asked where he was.

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes," Stefan said.

As a taxi pulled up, Peter said, "Let's share the taxi, Stefan. Unless you're going to some place close, you'll get there faster this way."

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

It turned out that Peter's hotel was closer, so when he got out of the taxi, Stefan said, "Take care, Peter."

"You, too," Peter said and he watched the taxi drive away with Stefan. He didn't like the situation the young man was in, but at least he was apparently doing all right.

Stefan was not the only one Peter ran into in this city far from Mystic Falls. When he later went to browse in one of the big department stores on North Michigan Ave., he was surprised to spot a woman whom he knew getting off an elevator. For a moment he was confused because he couldn't tell if she was Elena or Katherine. Then he figured that Elena was in Virginia and Katherine had left that state, or at least she had told Damon she was leaving. In any case, the woman glanced his way and she recognized him. She smiled broadly and came his way.

"Peter, imagine meeting you here!" she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She leaned close and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"And I could say the same, Katherine. Shopping?" Peter asked. It was a foolish question, since she had a large bag from the store in her hand. The dress she was wearing was short and sexy, which was the style for young women these days. He liked it.

She asked what he was doing in Chicago and he told her. He didn't mention seeing Stefan. However, she was the one to mention him.

"Did you know that Stefan and Klaus are in Chicago right now?" she asked as they moved away from the elevators to a more quiet spot.

"You've seen them?"

"Yes. Quite by accident. I called Damon and told him. I don't know if he'll come here. Hopefully, he won't bring that foolish ninny with him."

"I suppose it would be a dangerous thing to do," Peter agreed. If Damon showed up, would Stefan think he, Peter, had called Damon after he had promised to wait a week? Well, maybe it was for the best that Katherine had called. "Do you know where they're staying? Stefan and Klaus, I mean."

"Actually, I do. They're at the hotel I was going to stay at. When I saw them, I changed my mind. Klaus scares me."

"Take me there," Peter said. "I'd like to see this Klaus fellow. I've never seen an Original."

"If I were you, Peter, I wouldn't make contact. He's a very strong and dangerous man. He can't be killed, for one thing."

"I wasn't going to try. I just want to get a look at him. And as for being killed, I think every creature can be killed somehow by someone or something."

The hotel was only a few blocks away and he and Katherine walked it. At one point, when no one was really close, Peter asked in a low voice, "Miss Gilbert mentioned that you once loved both Damon _and_ Stefan. And you told me that, in recent times, Damon doesn't chase you out of his bed. Have you ever 'slept' with Stefan?"

"That's a personal question, Peter. I'm surprised at you," Katherine teased, grinning. "The answer is that I have, but it was way back when I first met him. I really fell for him. He was such a nice boy. Handsome. A young gentleman. He treated me like a lady, even when I lured him into my bed."

"And Damon?"

"I didn't have to lure him. He was eager. He fascinated me. Home from the war and in uniform. A sexy hunk, as they say these days. A rakish fellow. That's a really old term, isn't it? He certainly came to my bed willingly. I really liked it. The way he felt inside me," Katherine said, raising her eyebrows and looking Peter in the eye to see if he was shocked.

He wasn't. "And you still do."

"When I'm in the mood," she agreed. "He's fun. I don't know how Damon could fall in love with that silly, simpering human. Well, other than the fact that she looks like me, of course." When Peter didn't comment, she added more.

"And guess what."

"What?" Peter asked, not sure he really wanted to know.

"Well, since I had the opportunity to, shall we say, compare the brothers way back in the 1860's, I found that their … um … manly parts were just about identical. Twins. I wonder if they know that."

"Probably. Boys and young men are sometimes not above comparing to see who has more," Peter said with a chuckle.

"The 'mine is bigger than yours' thing," Katherine said, laughing, too.

Peter found himself wondering if he, too, had matched his brothers when he was a young man. Had all three of them inherited certain identical parts from their father?

They stopped across the street from the hotel and looked at the front entrance. They had no idea if either Stefan or Klaus were in the hotel at the moment, and they chose not to go inside and enquire. If the men were using a car, they might come and go through the garage.

"What's Klaus' last name?" Peter asked.

"I know what it was a long time ago. Mikaelson, but I don't know if that was the family's real name or not. His first name is Niklaus, by the way. Anyway, he uses a lot of different names. If I went into the hotel to ask for him, I wouldn't even know who to ask for. I bet the room isn't in Stefan's name, either."

"I'd certainly like to see this man, this Original who's also a hybrid," Peter said. He knew he could hang around for hours with the front door in view, but he certainly was not going to stand there on the sidewalk waiting. His white hair was something people noticed right away. Stefan would spot him immediately.

He looked around and saw a pizza place across the street and half a block away. "Let's go check out that place and see if they have tables that are near the windows. I could sit and watch this place."

"Buy me a pizza and I'll sit with you for a few minutes; then I'm outta here," Katherine said.

So, they found a table by the window and Peter kept an eye on the hotel. He did order pizza and he and Katherine ate it. Even while eating and while Katherine played with his hand and ran her shoe gently up and down his shin, Peter kept looking.

"You're no fun, Peter," Katherine said, pouting.

"Not while I'm concentrating on something else. I'm sorry, my dear. I can be fun, but not right now."

"You could sit here for hours, you know."

"And I'll have to buy more and more food," Peter chuckled.

"They could use a different entrance or the garage. You may _never_ see them. And I have to go," Katherine said, picking up her purse and her shopping bag. She leaned close to Peter and licked a spot of tomato sauce from his lower lip. "Some other time, maybe?"

"Some other time. And thank you for showing me the hotel. I have enjoyed your company, my dear."

As time went by, Peter did have to buy more coffee and another pizza in order to keep his little table by the window. Finally, he was rewarded by seeing two men walking by across the street. They seemed to be accompanied by a blonde young woman carrying two shopping bags. One of the men was Stefan, while the other had medium blond hair lighter than Stefan's light brown. Peter studied the blond man, who was of medium weight, well-built, slightly taller than Stefan and was laughing at the moment. Because he was looking at Stefan who was closer to the street, Peter could see Klaus' face and that he was a good-looking young fellow with short, blond whiskers. To look at him, one would never know what he was or how dangerous he was. And when he threw an arm across Stefan's shoulders, he gave a quick squeeze and then let go.

Peter also looked at Stefan. He could see that Stefan had no real expression on his face, but he was nodding in agreement to whatever Klaus was saying. He also did not shrug off the arm that Klaus put over his shoulder again. The blond man let his hand fall away before the three young people entered the hotel's door.

So, that is the enemy," Peter thought. He had no intention at this time of interfering in the situation. Stefan didn't want his help and there was no need to let Klaus find out that there was a third Salvatore brother. He could only hope that this dangerous situation was somehow resolved without Stefan, Elena or Damon getting hurt. With a sigh, Peter finally left his post at the pizzeria. He had his own business to attend to.

A.N. I was thinking this would be as far as I'd take this story about Peter, but then I started toying with another possible chapter. It would involve Damon too. Do you all want another one?


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. Original characters, such as Peter, are mine.

A.N. Peter remembers a time with Damon in New Orleans.

Thank you all for your responses to story. It's so encouraging.

"FOR NEED OF A STAMP"

Peter continued to stay in Chicago, both to attend to business and to visit other friends. He didn't know if his brother Stefan was still in the city or if he and the hybrid had left. Peter also wondered if the pretty young Katherine was also still in town. She was a spitfire, that one! It didn't matter. He probably should stay away from the Mystic Falls folks.

On this evening, he went to have dinner in a restaurant near his hotel. While waiting for his meal, he found himself passing the time by studying various framed photographs on the walls. Two of them showed the red rock buttes and pinnacles of Monument Valley near the border of Arizona and Utah. Peter knew the area.

He was reminded of the times he had visited with his friend, a Native American, who lived on one of the reservations in Arizona. The man had long since passed away. The memory also reminded him of one of the times he had written the man a letter. Mailing the letter had turned out to be a near-disaster.

The year was 1957. It was one of those rare times when Peter was briefly with his brother Damon. Their paths crossed so seldom in their travels, that it was usually an opportunity for them to catch up on news. Such rare meetings were often a pleasure, but not always. That time had not been fun at all.

The place was New Orleans, a city each of them usually liked for one reason or another. They ran into each other quite by accident as they were walking around the French Quarter one sultry summer night. A thunder storm swept in, and by chance they both stepped into the same bar to avoid getting wet. The place was crowded and noisy, but they spotted each other. Actually, it was Damon who noticed the man with the wavy white hair and realized that it was Peter.

Peter was surprised to see him and gave him a good hug. Damon barely returned the hug and his expression was dour. Peter could tell his brother was not in a good mood. They got drinks and stood near one of the doorways, watching people scurrying around in the downpour, trying to find shelter. Most of them were tourists. The wet street reflected the neon signs of the area and the flashes of lightning.

"Where are you staying?" Damon asked, not looking at Peter. The young man was unshaven and his clothes needed washing. His dark hair was windblown.

"A hotel downtown," Peter said and he named the place. "How about you?"

Damon was not staying in a hotel or anywhere in particular. He admitted to being a street person for the time being. He didn't intend to stay in the city long. For the most part, he was hunting, spending some time with the ladies of the night and drinking a bit too much. He said he was on the move and not tied down to any one place these days. Besides, New Orleans had a small population of resident vampires who didn't always like outsiders hunting in their territory for too long.

The way he was living was not unusual for a vampire. Most roamed around, not staying long in any one place. Most were creatures of the night, dead to the world during the day, safely hidden in some dark place. They hunted after the sun went down, either staying by themselves or socializing. Both the males and the females often sought human sex partners, who usually became sources of blood.

Of course, not all vampires lived that way. Peter didn't. He was a day-walker and a businessman. He knew Damon often didn't live as he was now, and he certainly was a day-walker. What he was doing now was his choice.

Peter asked about their brother Stefan, whom he hadn't seen in a while. Damon shrugged and said he didn't know where Stefan was. Peter could tell that in his present indifferent mood, Damon really didn't care.

Peter was not hungry and was not hunting. He had fed some days before, which was enough for him. He invited his brother to come to the hotel where he could get away from the hot, sticky air and get some comfortable sleep.

When the storm had passed, the two men walked to the downtown area with its taller city buildings and they went to the hotel and to Peter's room. Damon brought a flask of bourbon in his pocket. Kicking off his damp shoes, he stretched out on one of the two beds, pillows under his head, and the flask clutched in his hand. While he sipped, he watched the television Peter had turned on, the black and white light flickering in his staring eyes.

Peter, on the other hand, sat at the small table and finished writing a letter he had started earlier. He didn't try to make his surly brother chat.

"What are you writing?" Damon finally asked, bored with the TV show. He turned onto his side and looked at Peter.

"A letter to a friend in Arizona. I'm flying out to Albuquerque and I'm hoping to meet up with him. I have to let him know in advance that I'm coming. On what day."

"Why don't you just call him?" Damon asked, sitting up on the edge of the bed and taking another sip.

"He doesn't have a phone. Where he lives, he doesn't have electricity or indoor plumbing either. But he and his family are comfortable there. Quite a few families on the reservation live in what we think of as real poverty, but they have a connection to the land."

"An Indian, huh? At least they've got a damned roof over their heads, which is more than I've had lately," Damon muttered. He took another swig of liquor.

Peter wasn't particularly sympathetic. He knew Damon could easily change his situation if he wanted to. He had access to money. Peter sensed that his brother was a bit depressed and had his positive emotions turned off. He was sarcastic and had a hard look in his blue eyes. There were times when Damon Salvatore was just a cold, nasty vampire.

Peter finished the letter, folded it and slid it into an envelope. Licking it, he sealed it. He wrote the address and added AIR MAIL near the bottom of the envelope. Air mail would get the letter there faster than ground mail.

"I don't suppose you have any stamps on you," Peter said.

"Hell, no. Do I look like a mailman?" Damon grumped. He flopped back down on the bed.

"I'll get one in the morning. The concierge indicated that he had some stamps," Peter said, and he left the envelope on the table.

They spent the night in the room. Damon fell into the sleep of the dead after a minute of snoring. Peter undressed and went to bed, too. He wished he could cheer up his brother.

In the morning, Damon's mood seemed a bit better, although he didn't have the witty attitude he was known for. Anything he bothered to say had a sarcastic edge to it. Peter urged him to take a shower, which he did, although he had to put on his dirty clothes again. Peter's clothes were too small for him, so there was no sense in offering any.

Damon also used Peter's tooth brush, which really didn't please him. He watched the young man use his comb to put his wet hair in the style of the day. Without any hair dressing, the hair would soon fall into its usual mop. The young man didn't bother to shave.

When the pair went down to the lobby, they headed for the front desk so that Peter could buy a stamp. He got a seven cent air mail stamp and licked it, pasting it onto the envelope. There was a mail drop box just to his right on the wall and he put it inside. Damon was waiting impatiently close behind him. They would eat a real-food breakfast in a few minutes.

There was a sudden 'thunk' sound and a shriek from a woman almost directly behind Damon. Both vampires turned to see what was happening and both were stunned to see a man dressed in a combination of old Chinese and Japanese clothing. He had an insane look in his eyes as he wielded a long samurai sword. The 'thunk' had been his sword cutting deeply into the place where the woman's husband's neck joined his shoulder. A very deep gash now spurted a lot of blood. A slightly better aim would have taken the man's head off. Still, the victim was probably mortally wounded.

There were screams all around the lobby now as people ran and ducked for cover. The man behind the desk disappeared below it, phone in hand.

Before Damon could move from his boxed-in position, the crazed man had raised the sword with the intent of decapitating him. As the sword came down, Damon raised his left arm protectively, ducked his head and charged the man. With another 'thunk', his left hand and wrist parted company from his arm. It didn't stop Damon from closing his right hand on the man's throat in a crushing grip. In addition, Damon then grabbed the jaw and thrust the head back and to the side. As he intended, the neck snapped and the man collapsed. The sharp weapon clattered onto the marble floor.

Peter, between Damon and the desk, moved quickly, grabbed up the fallen hand and then grabbed Damon's shortened arm, squeezing it tightly.

"Come! This way!" he urged, hauling his brother with him as they headed toward a side hall.

Damon, knowing he had lost his limb and the protective ring on it, would have stayed really close to Peter, who had the precious things, even if Peter had not had hold of him. Although his heart had been pounding from adrenaline, he now made the heart stop as Peter held his shortened arm up in the air. The bleeding stopped for the most part. He tried to ignore the pain that kept shooting up his arm and through his shoulder. Mostly, he still felt rage and adrenaline. He was cursing vehemently.

Peter ducked into a men's restroom with Damon in tow. Luckily, no one was in there.

"Be quiet!" Peter snapped. "We don't want people rushing in here. Hold still."

He knew Damon was in pain and was hyped, but he could also see some shock coming into play. Damon was pale and trembling.

"Hold still," he repeated. He pushed back the shortened sleeve of Damon's shirt. The wound was dripping and the edge a clean cut. He took the severed wrist and hand, shook off the ragged piece of shirt sleeve and held the edges in place, wrist to forearm. He knew how to align the bones, which was foremost in importance. Damon's vampiric healing power grabbed onto the severed part as if both ends were magnetized.

"Hold onto it. Support it," Peter said.

"I know what to do, dammit," Damon growled and he did. He supported his arm as the reattachment took place quickly. It hurt like fire, but that was beside the point. He muttered curses, his breath hissing through his gritted teeth.

"Come over to the sink. Let's wash the blood off," Peter said. "And then let's get out of here before the place is overrun with cops and ambulance people."

Damon put his forearm and hand under running water, groaning through his teeth at the added pain, but all he cared was that the arm was intact and the ring was there. Peter used a wad of paper towels to sop up most of the water on Damon's arm and then he made Damon drape his, Peter's, sport coat over his shoulder. It hung down over the bloodied and ragged shirt sleeve.

In moments, Peter and Damon were out of the restroom and headed for the rear entrance to the hotel. They met people going the other way and no one stopped them. Once they were out on the sidewalk, they were able to just walk away. Of course, there was some blood on Damon's clothes and a bit on Peter's, but they only drew brief glances. New Orleans was sometimes a rough city.

Eventually, they stopped. Damon insisted that he could go on by himself. His arm had healed enough that he had the use of it. He said he had clean clothes in a satchel hidden away. Returning the cream sport coat, he tucked the torn end of the sleeve under so it didn't show.

Before they parted, Damon gave his brother a quick hug and murmured a few words of gratitude. Then he hurried away. Peter watched him go and shook his head. Trouble always followed his brothers. He felt sorry for them sometimes. Shaking his head again, he headed back to the hotel, using a side entrance near the elevators.

Now, in the restaurant in Chicago, Peter shook his head as he had back then. He was glad he had visited Mystic Falls recently and had found Damon in a good mood, even in love. It would be nice if Stefan could get out of his situation and get on with his life, too. And find a little happiness again.

Peter's food arrived and he settled down to a nice meal.

A.N. I think this is definitely the end of the Old Man story. If I come up with another idea, it can be a separate story. Any ideas? Do you all like Peter?


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